Today, the 5-year survival rate for those with childhood cancers stands at more than 80 percent – up more than 20 points since the 1970s.

That’s encouraging news for families with children with cancer. But there’s still a long way to go, especially when funding for pediatric cancer remains low.

Here at Levine Children’s Hospital, we’re doing all we can to cure the incurable. We sat down with some of the cancer specialists at LCH to hear what excites them about cancer care here in the greater Charlotte area.

Personalized medicine. As part of the Beat Childhood Cancer initiative, LCH researchers are investigating tailored courses of chemotherapy based on a person’s individual genetic makeup. “We give you a personal answer, telling you what drugs may work for a specific tumor. For people who have gone through chemotherapy, that is a very unique thing,” says Javier Oesterheld, MD, medical director for pediatric hematology, oncology, and blood and marrow transplantation.

New technology for rare nerve cancer. LCH is building a dedicated lead-lined room to deliver a special kind of therapy called MIBG to treat neuroblastoma, a form of high-risk nerve cancer. We’ll be one of fewer than 20 centers in the United States to offer this type of therapy, says Dr. Oesterheld.

Dynamic approaches for blood and marrow transplantation. Replacing broken stem cells with healthy cells from a donor is one way to cure many types of cancer. We’re one of 12 institutions in the country studying a new technology that can help kids with cancer who have no other donors. “We have a number of kids who we’re helping save with this technology, and we’re really privileged to be able to bring this top-level work here to Charlotte,” says Jeffrey Huo, MD, pediatric blood and marrow transplantation specialist.

Immunotherapies. Many new treatments for leukemia involve helping the body itself to fight off the cancerous cells. “We’re now able to trick the body’s own immune system into recognizing the leukemia cells as bad, so it can go and kill those cells,” says Joel Kaplan, MD, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist. “This type of research is one of the most cutting-edge things going on in the nation right now, and we’re contributing to those efforts here at LCH.”

Beyond new therapies, our doctors know that better treatment also includes providing the extra human touch – to be at our best when children are at their worst. “The science of cancer is always changing, which keeps us on our toes,” says Dr. Oesterheld. “But the idea of being able to get a child through probably the worst times of their lives – for us, that’s invaluable.”

Thank you to Brighthouse Financial for being an incredible partner to our foundation and continuing your Presenting Sponsorship status or our 10th Annual 5k/10k and 1 mile fun run for Kids Cancer for the second year! We have been so thankful for the commitment and dedication this company has given to supporting the Isabella Santos Foundation and helping us make a difference for kids fighting cancer. We simply could not do what we do without the community support behind our foundation.

“In January 2016, MetLife announced plans to pursue the separation of a substantial portion of its U.S Retail segment through a public offering of shares, a spin-off, or a sale. The separation would allow MetLife to focus on businesses that have lower capital requirements and greater cash generation potential. As an independent company, U.S Retail would benefit from greater focus, more flexibility in products and operations, and a reduced capital and compliance burden.

MetLife employees, 2016 ISF Race

This past June, the new company, named Brighthouse Financial, received regulatory and board of director approval to disaffiliate through a spin-off on August 4, and began trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market on August 7.

Brighthouse Financial is on a mission to help people achieve financial security. Our world is changing every day; a company pension is the exception, not the rule, and reaching your 90th birthday isn’t unusual. In these uncertain times, preparing for your retirement has never been so important. We specialize in annuities and life insurance; two essential products that help protect what you’ve earned and ensure it lasts. They work in tandem with the rest of your portfolio.

MeLife and Brighthouse Financial have a longstanding partnership with the Isabella Santos Foundation (ISF). We have participated in the Isabella Santos Foundation Race each year since we moved to Charlotte in 2013, and 2017 marks our second year as Presenting Sponsor. We also hosted an internship consulting project with ISF in the summer of 2016 and are excited to have raised over $50,000 for ISF through our Annual Community Golf Classic which benefited ISF in 2015 and 2017.” – Apryl Silva, Real Estate & Community Relations

As we move into crunch time for our 10th Annual 5K/10K and Fun Run for Kids Cancer, we want to make sure we take the time to thank our sponsors who help make this event possible. We have had several companies decide to partner with us for the entire year as a Sustaining Sponsor. A Sustaining Sponsor is an annual sponsor of the Isabella Santos Foundation. Support from sponsors are what enable our continued level of success.

PSL Source/Maxim Tickets has supported ISF for years. They consistently donate event/game tickets to the Isabella Santos Foundation for our auction and giveaways. This year they stepped up as a 2017 sustaining sponsor in an effort to support us in fighting childhood cancer.

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Maxim Tickets/PSL Source

Maxim Tickets has operated from Charlotte, NC for over a decade. As one of the industry’s premium independent broker of high-demand tickets, Maxim Tickets is known for a superior selection, great prices, and service. Memberships include the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB), the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce (CCC).

Community Blood Center of the Carolinas, CBCC, has been near and dear to our hearts since Isabella received numerous blood and platelet transfusions to help her stay strong and fight neuroblastoma. Since Isabella passed just five years ago, CBCC has sponsored our 5K/10K & 1 mile fun run for Kids Cancer every year in honor of her. And because CBCC helped sustain Isabella’s life while she was fighting, we host our annual Blood Drive every year on Isabella’s birthday (March 9th) and this year we will be hosting a Platelet drive in honor of her passing on June 28th, 2012. Platelet Drive will take place Wednesday, June 21st – Wednesday, June 28th at ANY CBCC location. Call 1-888-59BLOOD to make or email plateletdonor@cbcc.us to make your appointment today. Help us reach our goal of 100 donations!

Many people may not know, but cancer patients are the #1 recipients of blood products. Sharing Isabella’s story allowed CBCC to show people first-hand the importance of donating blood and hosting blood drives in our community. Although Isabella lost her life to neuroblastoma, she would have never survived as long as she did without CBCC and the blood products she received.

A note from Martin Grable, CBCC President and CEO…

“Throughout their journey, Isabella Santos’ family has graciously allowed the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas to share her story with our community to highlight the critical importance of blood donation. But they have done so much more than that.

They have become huge supporters of CBCC, attending dozens of our events and hosting blood and platelet drives with us each year. Isabella herself personally worked to spread the word about an ISF and CBCC blood drive held at her elementary school because she so clearly understood the importance of blood donation for patients like her.

Isabella’s family is CBCC’s family, and we truly treasure the relationship we have been able to build over the years. Partnering with such a tremendously dedicated, determined and successful group of people makes what we do at CBCC even more rewarding. Together, we truly are making a difference in the lives of patients and their families in our community.

Those of us at CBCC who had the pleasure of knowing Isabella treasure the memories and miss her dearly. Those of us who were not fortunate enough to meet her remain honored to share her story as we work with ISF and others in our community to maintain a steady blood supply for patients in our local hospitals.”

As our fundraising season moves full steam ahead with our Coffee for a Cure events scheduled at the end of March, we want to introduce you to some amazing companies that have decided to partner with us for the 2017 year as a Sustaining Sponsor.

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Not only has Diamonds Direct stepped up to be a 2017 sustaining sponsor in an effort to support all our events throughout the year, they are providing us with jewelry giveaways for many of our events. What girl wouldn’t love that? Diamonds Direct has supported the Isabella Santos Foundation and Isabella’s mission to cure Neuroblastoma for years by donating jewelry to our annual 5K/10K and 1mile fun run for Kids Cancer. Thank you Diamonds Direct for being part of the ISF family!

Diamonds Direct

Diamonds Direct’s brick and mortar locations can be found across the south and are accompanied by a personally curated online shopping experience that has been developed to deliver the same phenomenal customer service and quality synonymous with the Diamonds Direct name.

As our fundraising season moves full steam ahead with our Coffee for a Cure events scheduled at the end of March, we want to introduce you to some amazing companies that have decided to partner with us for the 2017 year as a Sustaining Sponsor.

We are excited to have Bull Engineering aboard as a 2017 sustaining sponsor. Bull has supported the Isabella Santos Foundation for years. We met them when their child was in Isabella’s brother’s class years ago. Love to see connections and relationships grow. Thank you to Bull for supporting Isabella’s mission to find a cure for Neuroblastoma. We appreciate their support of our local Charlotte community.

Bull Engineering

Bull Engineered Products is a full service, turnkey injection molding source located in Charlotte, North Carolina. From design and rapid prototyping to assembly and delivery, we can manage a complete parts program and work behind the scenes to ensure that the tightest of tolerances are met. Bull Engineered Products is committed to providing quality parts at a competitive price.